Science/Technology
ILK. atomic lab opens contract research arm With last month's official launch of AEA Technology, an organization of considerable scientific acumen has entered the international contract research arena. It offers a wide variety of expertise and services on a broad technical front. The newly created body, an arm of the British government-owned U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, is largely the brainchild of John G. Collier, UKAEA's chairman. "AEA Technology is more than a new nameplate," he remarks. "What we now are aiming to do is regear the UKAEA to become much more oriented to customers' requirements, and to serve the market's needs." Creation of AEA Technology stems partly from the steady decline of U.K. funding for nuclearrelated work, including the fast reactor and nuclear fusion programs (C&EN, Sept. 5, 1988, page 19). But it also reflects the talents and ex-
pertise UKAEA scientists can bring to bear on many areas of state-ofthe-art technology. These areas range from design of ion particle spacecraft propulsion systems to development of artificial heart valves. "Our diversity in large part is due to the tremendous scientific and engineering experience gained during our initiation of the U.K. nuclear program," Collier says. "An organization with so much to offer is wise to aim for a more diverse and robust portfolio of business for the future." The organizational way was paved for setting up a business such as AEA Technology when UKAEA became what is technically called a trading fund. It ceased to depend on a yearly Parliamentary vote for its annual income, and now operates on a customer/contractor basis with a statutary obligation to show a yearly profit. "We're still primari-
ly a nuclear R&D organization," Collier insists. "But there is no doubt that to survive in the long term we have got to transfer technology developed from our nuclear power program into other industries. So we have been broadening our areas of work." He cites instances in which the technology transfer has been taking place: developing a database to help prevent chemical accidents; providing advice on how to combat global warming; logging subsea oil and gas deposits; and applying power fluidics to control oil well flow rates. Business development director Freddy Clarke has targeted eight sectors for AEA Technology's initial marketing drive: aerospace, defense, electricity supply, environment, general manufacturing, oil and gas, the process industries, and safety and reliability. Contract studies will draw on the expertise of scientists and technologists sited at
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the UKAEA's eight laboratory centers throughout the U.K. A move already has been made to tap the contract research business in Japan. Sumitomo Corp., a major Tokyo-based engineering firm, has been signed as agent for nuclear and nonnuclear business. The $3 million or so a year now earned from Japanese contracts is expected to grow fivefold in the near future. Dermot O'Sullivan
Electrolytic oxidation destroys toxic wastes Electrochemical oxidation is showing promise as a viable alternative to incineration for destroying toxic chemicals. Studies at the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority's Dounreay facility in Scotland show that the technique converts polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and other
hazardous materials to carbon diox-:- other chemicals that don't burn easily consume less electric current for ide and water. At the heart of the system thatit their destruction than those that do, UKAEA researchers David Steelee Steele observes. He cites this as an and Kathryn Cartwright are devel-.- added advantage of the electrolysis oping is a cell containing silver ni-- route, since tightening emission trate dissolved in nitric acid. It iss standards are adding to the cost of separated into two compartments byy building and operating efficient ina chemically inert ion-exchangee cineration plants, The Dounreay workers now are membrane, such as Du Pont's Nafion,i, a sulfonated fluorocarbon polymer.:. checking to see if unwanted chloroPlatinum-coated titanium serves ass fluorocarbons can be disposed of the anode. The cathode may be stain-L- by their electrolytic oxidation system. "I think it is possible, although less steel or titanium. A solution or slurry of the chemi-- they are very inert species/' Steele cal to be destroyed is fed into thee comments. "At this stage we are anode compartment, where it under--- cautiously optimistic." Pending the outcome of trials on goes rapid oxidation to carbon dioxide and water. Inorganic elementss a pilot-scale unit, Steele foresees consuch as phosphorus or sulfur aree struction of cells mounted on rigs converted to the c o r r e s p o n d i n g that could go to wherever there is acids. Nitric acid is regenerated fromri an accumulation of chemical waste, the nitrous acid produced at thee "Transport of such hazardous matecathode, and recycled. The opera-L- rial by road or rail to disposal sites tion takes place at atmospheric pres-i- is becoming a very contentious issue," he points out. sure and 100 °C or less. Dermot O'Sullivan PCBs, chlorinated solvents, andd
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